Épisodes

  • NYC's Food Scene is on FIRE: The Hottest New Restaurants Everyone's Talking About in 2026
    Jan 24 2026
    Food Scene New York City

    New York City's Culinary Renaissance: Sizzling Openings and Bold Flavors Igniting 2026

    Listeners, buckle up—New York City's food scene is exploding with fresh energy, blending global influences and local grit into plates that demand your attention. Topping Yelp's annual list of the 100 best places to eat in the U.S. is a standout NYC gem, proving our city's dominance in crave-worthy dining. The Infatuation highlights the most anticipated 2026 openings, from Dishoom's Indian street food vibes to a second Jeju Noodle Bar slinging innovative ramyun in Nolita, and Bark Barbecue's Bushwick flagship, where custom smokers churn out brisket and chicharron behind a glass wall, perfuming the air with smoky allure.

    Standout chefs are redefining neighborhoods with elevated yet approachable spots. Gabriel Kreuther's Saverne in Hudson Yards reinterprets the Alsatian brasserie via wood-fired grilling, while Jean-Georges Vongerichten's ABC Kitchens in Brooklyn flexes Brooklyn Bridge stone walls framing airy modern dishes. Coastal South Indian flavors hit Flatiron with a Kerala-inspired spot from a Dubai veteran, serving seafood that bursts with spice and sea-fresh tang. Over at Limusina in Hudson Yards, Craig Koketsu twists Mexican staples like Big Rock oysters with frozen margarita granita, cool and zingy against briny bites.

    Trends lean into neighborhood intimacy—think Chateau Royale's warm lighting and sculptural plates—or rotisserie chicken fever at Cleo Downtown in the West Village, paired with natural wines. Japanese home cooking shines at Ootoya, evoking umami-rich comfort, while live-fire masters like Oriana in Nolita grill seafood and meats over wood, juices sizzling audibly.

    Local farms fuel sustainability, as seen in a Murray Hill tasting menu partnering with Crown Daisy Farm for Upstate veggies. NYC's magic? Immigrant stories and hyper-local twists—like Korean-Southern buffets or British fish pies at Dean's in Soho—melding traditions into something fiercely original. Food lovers, this is your call: dive in now, before the lines form. New York's gastronomy isn't just eating—it's a pulsing, flavorful heartbeat you can't ignore..


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    2 min
  • NYC's Food Scene is Unhinged Right Now and We're Here for All the Delicious Drama
    Jan 22 2026
    Food Scene New York City

    # New York City's Culinary Renaissance: Where Tradition Meets Innovation

    New York City's restaurant scene in 2026 is experiencing a remarkable transformation, with cuisines from around the globe converging to create something entirely fresh. The city's food culture is no longer defined by a single culinary identity, but rather by the fearless collision of traditions and contemporary creativity.

    The past few weeks have witnessed an explosion of ambitious openings that signal where the city's palate is heading. Bazaar Meat by José Andrés has arrived at the Ritz-Carlton in NoMad, bringing Michelin-starred wood-fired cooking and tableside Ishiyaki stone preparations to Manhattan. Simultaneously, Cove is redefining fine dining through ingredient-focused, sustainable cuisine with an eight-course kitchen menu that shifts daily based on market availability. These establishments represent a broader trend toward restaurants that prioritize provenance and technique over pretension.

    Southern Indian cuisine continues its remarkable ascent through establishments like Semma and Kanyakumari, with new Kerala-inspired concepts emerging in neighborhoods like Flatiron. Meanwhile, coastal British seafood is having a moment, with Dean's preparing to join Dame in bringing fish pie and roasted Scottish langoustines to discerning New Yorkers. The city is also witnessing a roast chicken renaissance, with Parisian-inspired rotisseries and wood-fired preparations gaining ground across multiple neighborhoods.

    What makes this moment distinctive is how New York chefs are honoring cultural authenticity while introducing inventive twists. At Limusina in Hudson Yards, chef Craig Koketsu reimagines Mexican regional cuisine with creative flourishes like frozen margarita granita on oysters. The team behind Kisa has pivoted from Korean prix-fixe dining toward a Southern country buffet concept, drawing from their own Atlanta heritage. These moves demonstrate how immigrant chefs and their second-generation counterparts are reshaping the city's food identity through personal narrative.

    The infrastructure supporting this culinary explosion matters too. Restaurant Week, running through February 12, provides access to acclaimed dining at multiple price points. Meanwhile, neighborhood-level establishments like Aperitivo by Carta and Isla & Co. prove that exceptional food doesn't require fine dining formality or premium pricing.

    What distinguishes New York's culinary scene is its refusal to settle into any single aesthetic. The city remains a proving ground where chefs test bold ideas, where cuisines migrate and evolve, and where diners possess both adventurous palates and discerning taste. For food lovers, this moment represents something rare: a city genuinely in conversation with itself about what food should be, how it should taste, and whose stories deserve to be told through cuisine..


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    3 min
  • NYC's Hottest Tables: Korean-Cajun Mashups, Wood-Fired Everything, and the Banh Mi Revolution Taking Over Manhattan
    Jan 20 2026
    Food Scene New York City

    # New York's Restaurant Renaissance: Where Culinary Innovation Meets Global Flavor

    New York City's food scene is experiencing a remarkable transformation as 2026 unfolds, with restaurant openings that reflect the city's evolving palate and adventurous spirit. From Korean-Cajun fusion to coastal South Indian cuisine, the metropolis continues to cement its status as America's culinary capital.

    One of the most striking trends reshaping NYC dining is the proliferation of specialized regional cuisines. According to The Infatuation's guide to anticipated openings, restaurants like the Kerala-inspired spot opening in Flatiron and the second location of Jeju Noodle Bar demonstrate listeners' hunger for authentic, focused culinary experiences. Jeju Noodle Bar's expansion to Nolita will introduce dishes unavailable at the original West Village location, signaling how successful concepts are evolving rather than simply replicating themselves.

    The city's relationship with fire and wood-fired cooking is intensifying dramatically. Oriana, a new restaurant arriving in Nolita, promises American live-fire cooking showcasing seafood, vegetables, and large-format meats over a wood-fired grill. Meanwhile, Cleo Downtown, opening in the West Village from the team behind Margot and Montague Diner, celebrates rotisserie chicken inspired by Paris, London, and Montreal—a simple concept executed with sophisticated flair.

    Italian cuisine remains eternally relevant, with Neapolitan pizza taking center stage. Allegretto al Forno, opening next to Williamsburg's Francie, will feature pies topped with anchovies, duck sausage, and pistachio pesto. In Nolita, a bánh mì-focused sister restaurant from Mắm, ranked among the best restaurants in NYC, promises to revolutionize how the city approaches Vietnamese sandwich culture.

    What truly distinguishes this moment is the emphasis on sustainability and chef pedigree. One Murray Hill newcomer, helmed by a veteran of The French Laundry and Atomix, will focus on seasonal tasting menus in partnership with Crown Daisy Farm upstate. This philosophy reflects how New York chefs increasingly connect with regional agriculture, grounding innovation in local terroir.

    The international DNA woven through these openings cannot be overstated. Gusi celebrates Eastern European-Mediterranean fusion, Hōp brings authentic Khmer cuisine to Red Hook, and Unglo on the Upper West Side introduces moo krata—the communal Thai grilling experience uniting fire, flavor, and fellowship.

    New York's restaurant landscape thrives because it refuses stagnation. Each opening represents not mere expansion but evolution, where chefs build on culinary traditions while fearlessly experimenting with global influences. This balance between respect for culinary heritage and bold innovation is precisely why listeners should keep their fingers on the pulse of what's opening next. The city's greatest strength lies not in any single restaurant, but in its collective commitment to excellence, diversity, and the belief that great food brings us closer together..


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    4 min
  • NYC's Hottest Bites: Korean-Cajun Mashups, Roast Chicken Mania, and the Battle for Your Taste Buds
    Jan 17 2026
    Food Scene New York City

    New York City's Culinary Scene in 2026: A Feast of Fusion and Fire

    Listeners, buckle up for New York's dining renaissance, where bold flavors collide and innovation reigns supreme. The Infatuation spotlights 2026's most anticipated openings, kicking off with Kjun's bi-level upgrade in Murray Hill at 334 Lexington Avenue, dishing Korean-Cajun hits like seafood jajangmyun and kimchi jambalaya alongside a new octopus with andouille emulsion—perfectly timed for Mardi Gras revelry. Nearby, a French Laundry vet unveils a sustainable tasting menu at 125 E 39th Street, partnering with Crown Daisy Farm for Upstate veggies that burst with earthy freshness.

    Plant-forward pioneers shine too, as Michelin Guide highlights Avant Garden's 10th-anniversary tasting in the East Village, where Chef Juan Pajarito's shared plates of vibrant veg celebrate abundance under owner Ravi DeRossi's vision. Superiority Burger keeps its quirky edge with quinoa-chickpea burgers and cabbage stuffed with sticky rice and oyster mushrooms. Fresh January arrivals from Secret NYC include Hots Pizza on the Lower East Side, slinging sourdough pies topped with spicy pork sausage and hot peppers, and Thai hotspot DOK's tart Lenk Zab pork rib soup evoking Bangkok's streets. Rulin opens January 20 with upscale Sichuan-Cantonese comfort like family-style chili oil noodles.

    Trends lean French with roast chicken spots like Cleo Downtown in the West Village and Fulgurance’s transformation in Greenpoint, pairing juicy birds with natural wines from a 1,000-bottle list. British invaders arrive via Dishoom's Indian pop-up legacy and Dean’s in Soho, serving fish pie and Guinness-soaked langoustines. Live-fire rules at Oriana in Nolita and The Eighty Six's Mediterranean sequel, charring lobster and greens to smoky perfection.

    Local roots infuse it all—Upstate farms fuel sustainability, while immigrant tales shape Kisa's Southern buffet of Korean-fried chicken and collards. This city's magic? Its relentless mashups of global heritage and hyper-local grit, turning every bite into a story. Food lovers, tune in—New York's table is set for your next obsession..


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    3 min
  • NYC's British Food Invasion: Why London Chefs Are Taking Over Manhattan and What It Means for Your Dinner Plans
    Jan 15 2026
    Food Scene New York City

    # New York City's Restaurant Renaissance: 2026 Marks a Bold Culinary Awakening

    New York City's culinary landscape is experiencing a seismic shift as 2026 unfolds, with restaurant operators embracing a philosophy that elevates approachability over pretension. The Infatuation's guide to NYC's most anticipated openings reveals a dining scene increasingly defined by neighborhood sophistication, international influences, and a return to classical cooking techniques executed with modern precision.

    The British invasion is reshaping Manhattan's dining identity. Straker's, the Notting Hill phenomenon helmed by the internet-famous chef Thomas Straker, will occupy the former Lucky Strike space in Soho, while a second British seafood destination, Dean's from the King team, arrives in the East Village with offerings like roasted Scottish langoustines and fish pie. This transatlantic influence extends to Mayfair's Ambassadors Clubhouse, signaling that London's dining culture has captured New York's attention.

    Yet the city's culinary future remains distinctly multicultural. The coastal South Indian genre continues its momentum with new Kerala-inspired establishments joining established names like Semma and Kanyakumari in Flatiron. Khmer restaurant Hōp brings Red Hook a brick-and-mortar expansion following successful pop-up residencies, while Mắm, ranked among the best restaurants in NYC, launches a bánh mì-focused sister concept next door. Korean cuisine receives expanded representation with Kjun relocating to a bi-level Murray Hill space and Jeju Noodle Bar opening a second West Village location with exclusively new dishes.

    Rotisserie culture captures the moment. A Paris, London, and Montreal-inspired roast chicken spot called Cleo Downtown emerges in the West Village from the Margot and Montague Diner team, while Greenpoint's Fulgurance transforms into a Parisian bistro meets New York diner roast chicken establishment featuring over 1,000 wines sourced from personal collections in Anjou.

    What unites this diverse wave of openings is an emphasis on elevated neighborhood dining, as highlighted by restaurant trend analysts. Intimate spaces with thoughtful plating and personally curated menus characterize the emerging sensibility, with operators prioritizing warm lighting and sculptural presentation that feels refined yet unpretentious.

    This moment reflects something deeper about New York's food culture: a maturation toward restaurants that celebrate craft without abandonment of soul. Whether through Italian traditions, Asian heritage cuisines, or refined American cooking over open flames, 2026's openings demonstrate that the city's restaurants understand their listeners crave authenticity paired with culinary ambition. New York remains the nation's culinary laboratory, where global influences meet local obsession in ways only this city can orchestrate..


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    3 min
  • NYC's 2026 Food Scene is on Fire: London Chefs Invade, Chicken Reigns, and Wine Bars Take Over Soho
    Jan 13 2026
    Food Scene New York City

    **New York City's 2026 Culinary Explosion: Fire-Grilled Wonders and Global Twists**

    Listeners, buckle up—New York City's food scene is igniting in 2026 with a sizzling lineup of openings that blend bold flavors, local roots, and international flair. The Infatuation spotlights heavy hitters like Dishoom, the Indian mini-chain landing after a sold-out Pastis pop-up, promising aromatic curries and Irani café vibes in a yet-to-be-revealed spot. Nearby, Straker’s from London’s Notting Hill takes over Soho’s old Lucky Strike space, where Instagram-famous chef Thomas Straker serves mussel-topped flatbreads and ricotta-stuffed agnolotti amid prime people-watching.

    Fire is the star in Nolita’s Oriana from the Noortwyck team, grilling seafood and large-format meats over wood, paired with a massive wine list that evokes smoky seaside feasts. Williamsburg’s Francie crew unleashes Allegretto al Forno next door, slinging Neapolitan pies loaded with anchovies, duck sausage, and pistachio pesto—the crust’s char snapping like a fireworks finale. Spring brings Dean’s in Soho from the King team, dishing coastal British gems like fish pie, roasted Scottish langoustines, and potted shrimp on hot buttered crumpets, washed down with Guinness.

    Trends lean French with rotisserie chicken spots like Cleo Downtown in the West Village, inspired by Paris and Montreal, offering juicy birds alongside natural wines and crisp fries. The Infatuation notes chicken’s reign, while Sam Tell’s Take highlights elevated neighborhood dining at places like Estela and Misi, where intimate rooms deliver thoughtful plates without pretense. Local ingredients shine in Murray Hill’s seasonal tasting menu from a French Laundry vet partnering with Crown Daisy Farm upstate, emphasizing sustainable veggies.

    NYC Winter Restaurant Week kicks off next week per amNewYork, letting you sample these vibes affordably. Cultural mashups thrive too—Kisa’s team pivots to a Southern buffet with Korean-Atlanta roots, featuring fried chicken and collards.

    What sets NYC apart? Its relentless fusion of global traditions with hyper-local grit, turning immigrant stories and upstate bounty into edible poetry. Food lovers, tune in—this city’s plate is the world’s wildest stage..


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    2 min
  • NYC's Hottest Tables: Where Chefs Are Playing With Fire, Flour, and Your Feelings in 2026
    Jan 10 2026
    Food Scene New York City

    Bite Into Tomorrow: New York City’s Next Wave of Dining

    Listeners, sharpen your appetites: New York City is treating the calendar like a tasting menu, and 2026 is the course where the chef really shows off.

    According to The Infatuation, one of the clearest signals is fire and flour. Allegretto al Forno in Williamsburg is doubling down on New York City’s Neapolitan pizza obsession with pies crowned in anchovies, duck sausage, and pistachio pesto, plus fried bucatini that crackles at the edges. Over in Nolita, Oriana from The Noortwyck team is building its identity around live-fire cooking, turning local seafood and vegetables into smoky, char-edged statements of intent.

    The city’s love affair with global comfort food is evolving fast. The Infatuation notes a new Kerala-inspired South Indian restaurant in Flatiron joining torchbearers like Semma and Kanyakumari, pushing coconut, curry leaves, and coastal spice into the mainstream of New York City dining. At the same time, the team behind Korean spot Kisa is opening a Southern country buffet on First Avenue, marrying fried chicken and cornbread with a Korean-American sensibility that feels uniquely New York City.

    Bread, apparently, is no longer just a side; it’s a stage. Broadway World reports that RYE by Martin Auer will bring an Austrian bakery-meets-eatery concept to Soho, while Delmonico’s Hospitality Group is preparing Boogie Lab, an artisan bakery, bistro, and bar, fusing viennoiserie with cocktails and late-night energy. According to Delmonico’s, classic cocktails are resurging alongside these openings, with martinis and old-school builds anchoring the bar menus.

    Neighborhoody but polished is the new luxury. Sam Tell’s trend report highlights “elevated neighborhood dining” as New York City’s power move, with spots like Estela and Misi as templates: intimate rooms, personal menus, and serious cooking that still welcomes walk-ins in sneakers. HeadBox points to Bar Susanne on the Williamsburg waterfront, a seafood-centric raw bar that showcases oysters and fish from Long Island’s North Fork, proving that local waterways are as central to the story as the Hudson skyline.

    Culturally, New York City continues to cook as if the whole world were sharing a kitchen. Vietnamese standout Mắm is spinning off a bánh mì-focused sibling on Forsyth Street, turning pâté-slicked baguettes and strong coffee into a full-fledged destination. Meanwhile, Restaurant Week and countless neighborhood festivals keep prix-fixe deals flowing from the Upper West Side to Queens, inviting listeners to taste widely without torching their savings.

    What makes New York City’s culinary scene singular is not just variety, but velocity: ideas from Kerala, the North Fork, Vienna, and the American South don’t just arrive here, they collide, cross-pollinate, and become something new. For food lovers, paying attention to New York City isn’t optional; it’s how you glimpse where the global plate is headed next..


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    3 min
  • NYC's Caviar Chicken Wars: Where Fried Birds Meet Fine Dining and Brooklyn Claps Back
    Jan 8 2026
    Food Scene New York City

    New York City is once again sharpening its knives for a new wave of restaurants that remind listeners why this town still sets the global tempo for dining. According to The Infatuation and Broadway World, 2026 is shaping up as a year when fire, flour, and fried chicken all get their moment in the Manhattan and Brooklyn spotlight.

    In the West Village, Cleo Downtown is reimagining the humble rotisserie chicken as a luxury object, with golden birds spinning behind a marble counter, sea salt–dusted fries, bright herb sauces, and the option to crown the whole affair with caviar. Time Out reports that this 40-seat spot aims to feel like a neighborhood haunt while serving plates that look destined for magazine covers. Nearby, Zimmi’s expansion on Bedford Street leans into the trend Sam Tell’s restaurant trend report calls “elevated neighborhood dining,” where intimate spaces, sculptural plates, and serious wine lists replace white-tablecloth stiffness with candlelit ease.

    Brooklyn, of course, refuses to be outdone. The anticipated second location of Pies ’n’ Thighs in Park Slope promises more of the fried chicken, biscuit sandwiches, and pies that made the Williamsburg original a cult classic, tying into a broader nostalgia wave that Delmonico’s Hospitality Group describes as “moving forward while looking back” with both food and classic cocktails. Greenpoint’s transformation of Fulgurance’s into a roast chicken spot, described by HeadBox as “Parisian bistro meets New York diner,” doubles down on comforting, shareable poultry paired with a thousand-bottle wine list.

    On the more globetrotting end, New York continues to treat the city like a culinary atlas. The Infatuation highlights a Kerala-inspired coastal South Indian restaurant opening in Flatiron, following the path blazed by Semma and Kanyakumari, while Mắm on Forsyth Street spins off a bánh mì and coffee sibling that keeps Vietnamese flavors front and center. At Bar Susanne on the Williamsburg waterfront, Broadway World notes that seafood from Long Island’s North Fork and other New York waterways anchors a raw bar that tastes like a love letter to local tides.

    Layer in NYC Restaurant Week and Broadway Week under the NYC Winter Outing umbrella, as covered by ABC7NY, and listeners get a city that doesn’t just eat well; it throws festivals about eating well. What makes New York’s culinary scene unique is this relentless collision of heritage and experimentation—Kerala on Flatiron corners, Vietnamese sandwiches beside Lower East Side tenements, rotisserie chicken dressed up for a caviar party—each plate a reminder that in this city, dinner is never just dinner; it is culture, performance, and constant reinvention..


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    3 min